Engineering Curriculum Rooted in Active Learning: Does It Promote Engagement and Persistence for Women?

Abstract

Background - Active, problem-based learning is increasingly being used in engineering education. Group projects to design and build devices and ethical case studies sensitize students to real world experiences. They also increase critical thinking and engagement. Research has demonstrated that short-term outcomes of an active learning pedagogy include increasing student engagement in class, improving students' examination results more than traditional courses, and ensuring more students pass the course. Long-term outcomes include increased engagement and motivation to learn, and helping students gain self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Purpose/Hypothesis- The purpose of this longitudinal study is to understand the relationship between an institution's engineering program rooted in active learning and undergraduate student persistence, particularly for women. Active learning pedagogy has been linked to retaining women. Design/Method - At the beginning of their freshmen and sophomore years, students completed an adapted version of the Longitudinal Assessment of Engineering Self-Efficacy (LAESE) and the Student Responses to Instructional Practices Instrument (StRIP). Results - Students reported higher levels of engagement and persistence than students at other institutions. These patterns were consistent for both men and women. Gender did not predict persistence to the beginning of sophomore year, even when controlling for differences in self-efficacy between women and men upon entering the program. Student engagement, as measured by StRIP, also did not predict persistence. Conclusions - Utilizing an active learning pedagogy in an undergraduate engineering program may promote equitable persistence to sophomore year among women and men in an undergraduate engineering program.